Automatic high-pressure acetylene-gas generator.



0. WOOLLEY- AUTOMATIC HIGH PRESSURE AGETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

APPLIOATIOH TILED SEPT. 24. 1908.

Patented June 29, 1909 lllllclIIlI) .the partition 11.

UNITED s'rA'ras i ignnr ent ies.

CLARENCE WOOLLEY,

AUTOMATIC HIGH-PRESSURE ACETYLENE-GAS GENERATOR.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARENCE XVOOLLEY, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of l/Vaukee, Dallas county, Iowa, have invented a new and useful Automatic High-Pressure Acetylene-Gas Generator, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved construction for acetylene gas generators.

-My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of elements hereinafter set forth, pointed out in my claim and illustrated by the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is plan and Fig. 2 a side elevation of the complete device. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the indicated line 3-4, of Fig. 1 and Fig. 1 is a vertical section on the indicated line el-1- of Fig. 1.

In the construction of the device as shown the numeral 10 designates a casing, prei'ew ably of rectangular shape and made of sheet metal, and imperliorate except as hereinafter described. The casing 10 preferably is ol a height somewhat greater than its width and a partition 11 is mounted vertically and transversely thereof and is sealed at its margins to the front and rear walls, the to p and bottom of the casing. A partition 12 is mounted vertically within the casing and transversely of one portion thereof, and said partition has its margins sealed to one side wall, the top and bottom of the casing and to Thus three compartments or chambers 13, 14, 15 are formed within the casing, the first having a capacity ap )roximately equal to the other two combined. The chamber 13 is for the storage of gas, the chamber 14 is for the generating of gas and may be termed a carbid chamber, and the chamber 15 forms a water tank. Pipe 16 y and valve 16*are provided in the upper end portion of the partition 11 to aii'ord communication between the gas chamber and the carbid chamber. A basket 17 is suspended in the upper ortion of the carbid chamber and preferab y is of hopper form and provided with a mesh bottom 18. An opening is formed in the top of the casing 10 communicat ing with the basket 17 and said opening normally is closed by a plug 1.9. The opening, closable by the plug 19, is employed to supply carbid to the basket 17 or to admit water to cleanse the basket and the carbid chamber .14. A drainage port is formed inl Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 24, 1908.

ployed to supply water to the tank 15.

Patented June 29, 1909.

Serial No, 454,940.

' chamber.

A water pipe 21, preferably of minute cross-section, is mounted through thetop of the casing 10 in two places and, is sealed thereto. One end portion of the pipe 21 extends nearly to the bottom oi the water tank while the opposite end portion of said pipe extends nearly to the bottom of the carbid basket 17. A check valve 22 is mounted in the pipe 21 and prevents reverse flow from the-carbid chamber to the water tank. An opening is formed in the top 01' the casing and con ununicates with the water tank and said opening normally is closed by a plug 23. The opening, closable by the plug 23, is em- An air pipe 2-1, controlled by a valve 25, is mounted through and sealed to the top of the casing and extends into the Water tank 15. The air pipe leads from a source of pressure not shown) such as an air pump on an automobile, or locomotive. A pres- [sure indicator 26 is mounted on the to oi the casing 10 and communicates With the interior of the water tank 15. A pressure imilieator 27 is mounted on the top of the casing 10 and communicates with the inte rior of the gas chamber 13. A discharge pipe 2%, controlled by a valve 29, leads from the interior of and is sealed to the gas chamber 13. One or more sections of hose (not shown) may be attached to the discharge pipe 28 and lead to lamps or tire valves, for the purpose of supplying illuminating gas to the. lamps or iilling medium to the tires.

Water, in successive small quantities, is forced through the pipe 21 into the carbid by air pressure created in the water tank through the pipe 24. ,The water acts on the carbid for the production of gas which fills the carbid chamberand gas chamber and reacts on the air pressure, and reverses the flow 01" water to the chamber 15. Repeated applications of air to the water tank will increase the supply ol' gas to the desired degree as shown by the indicator 27, Without risking damage to the machine by excessive pressure. The gas generated by the latest; flow of water upon the carbid creates a pressure in the chambers 13, 14 superior to the air pressure in the chamber 15 and, therefore, gas flows rearwardly through the pipe 21 and bubbles through the Water and mixes With the air in said chamber 15, thus equalizing the pressure in said. chambers. Then, as gas is used from the chamber 13 the pressure in the latter chamber is reduced. Such reduction of pressure in the chamber 13 is responded to by discharge of more Water on the carbid, which results in generating more gas and further reacting and equalizing of pressures until the water is exhausted. The supply of Water is replenished, after closing the valve 22, b removing the plug 23 and filling the chamher 15 to the desired extent, and such removal of the plug and introduction of Water discharges the mixed air and gas from said chamber 15 through the filling port. Then the plu 23 is replaced and the pressure in the charm er '15 is raised to operative degree by umping air through the pipe 24. The vaii re 22 is then opened and the operation proceeds as before. A drainage port is formed'in the bottom of the casing conrmunicatingwith the water tank and normally is closed by a plug 20.

A quantity of gas can be retained in the storage chamber 13 at high pressure, to be used automatically as desired by closing the valve 1.6, and the supply of gas is automatic ally maintained when said valve is open by maintaining a desired pressure in the Water tank as above-described. The valve 16 is closed during the operation of re-charging the carbid chamber,

1 claim as my inventi-en An acetylene gas generator, comprising a casing having a storage chamber, a carbid chamber and a Water tank side by side therein, means for supplying Water to and drawing the same from said tank; a pipe on the top of said casing and extending within the Water tank and carbid chamber, one end of said pipe extendlng nearly to the bottom of the Water tank, a manually operated, 11 01 1 mally open valve in said pipe, saidplpe adapted to convey water in one direction to the carbid chamber and gas in the opposite direction to the Water tank when said valve is open, a carbid basket suspended in and spaced from the bottom of the carbid chain her, one end portion of said pipe extending within and nearly to the bottom of said hasket, a closable port in the top of the carbid chamber whereby carbid can be supplied to said basket, a closable drainage port in the bottom of the carbid chamber, a pipe vvithin and beneath the top of said casing and adapted for gas communication between the carbidchamber and storage chamber, a manually operated valve in said pipe, a valve-controlled service pipe leading from the storage chamber, a pressure pipe entering the water tank, a valve in said pressure pipe,

and pressure indicators in the top of the casing and communicating with the Water tank and storage chamber.

Signed by me at Des Moines, Iowa, this twenty fifth day of August, 1908.

' CLARENCE WooLLnY;

Witnesses:

S. C. SXYEET, ERLE W, MILLER. 

